RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Cavalry FC vs. Halifax Wanderers | Sept. 13, 2025

Cavalry FC picked up a crucial three points at ATCO Field on Saturday, maintaining their third place position in the Canadian Premier League table with a 3-1 win over fourth-place Halifax Wanderers FC.

After the two sides traded early opportunities, Eryk Kobza had the first shot attempt of the match, firing a shot high above the Wanderers net. Cavalry started to build a bit of momentum, and in the next few minutes Ali Musse also sent a shot over the bar, Tobias Warschewski had an attempt blocked, and Michael Baldisimo sent the ball right of Rayane Yesli's net.

Halifax's first chance came on a clinical counter-attack, with Sean Rea, Vitor Dias and Ryan Telfer charging full speed at the Cavalry backline, passing the ball between them until it eventually fell to Rea at the edge of the box. The opportunity was for naught in the end, as Rea's shot was wide of the target, letting a scrambling Cavalry defence off the hook.

The hosts found the breakthrough in the 33rd minute, with Kobza scoring his first goal for the club since 2023. He made a run to the back post as Musse lofted the ball into the six yard box on the second phase of a set piece, heading it into the open net after Yesli attempted unsuccessfully to get a hand to the cross in the air.

Halifax responded well to going down a goal, and had a trio of chances within three minutes of each other, with two of them coming from a corner kick. Adam Pearlman was left alone in the box on a cross into the box from the set piece, but did not struck his attempt cleanly. It landed at the feet of Andre Rampersad, whose follow up effort also failed to test Marco Carducci.

The first half ended 1-0 to the hosts, who were equal on shots with the visitors at 5-5, but made use of the half's lone shot on target.

When play resumed, Cavalry found a second goal instantly to double their lead. Goteh Ntignee powered past Pearlman up the left wing, bringing a couple of defenders with him, before cutting the ball back inside for Musse, who was in the perfect position for an easy volleyed tap-in to make it 2-0. His eighth goal of the season is a new individual high during his years in the CPL, and paired with his assist on the opening goal he showed exactly why he was missed in Cavalry's defeat in Toronto last week while he was on international duty with Somalia.

Looking to pile on, Warschewski attempted an audacious free kick shortly after, which had the dip need to get up over the wall and back down again, but was wide of the mark. He ended up turning provider, smashing a low pass to the back post for Sergio Camargo to tap in to make it 3-0 in the 53rd minute.

Pearlman redeemed himself for the earlier miss, and being beaten on the second Cavalry goal, by directing a shot past Carducci in the 57th minute to pull one back for the Wanderers. Rea split two defender before crossing the ball to the edge of the six yard box, where Pearlman was there to volley it.

The Wanderers defender was booked moments later for a shirt pull on Ntignee as he continued to struggle to keep up with Cavalry's speedy winger, and subbed out a few minutes after that after seemingly injuring his leg.

After coming off the bench for Pearlman, Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé won the ball in midfield and started a quick counter-attack for the Wanderers. Wes Timoteo played the ball along the ground for Telfer, who extended his leg for what could have been an easy tap-in, but just whiffed on it, watching the ball bounce wide.

Telfer had another go from a tight angle in the 76th minute, and tried to roof the shot from fairly close range, but couldn't test Marco Carducci as it soared into the Calgary sky.

Ayman Sellouf curled a cross into the penalty area in the late stages of the game after the Cavs substitute won it with a dangerous move into the penalty area, but Warschewski's header to meet it ended up going over the bar as well. His compatriot Nicolas Wähling struck a free kick well deep into stoppage time, but it narrowly missed as well as Cavalry looked to add one last goal.

They held on for the 3-1 win, which gives them a four-point lead over Halifax and York United for third place in the CPL standings. York will finish matchweek 23 by hosting Atletico Ottawa on Sunday, looking to close the gap back to one point and jump over the Wanderers.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Laing, Klomp (Field 66'), Kamdem; Kobza (Myroniuk 77'), Baldisimo; Musse (Wähling 77'), Camargo (Shome 66'), Ntignee (Sellouf 84'); Warschewski

Halifax Wanderers FC: Yesli; Alphonse (Dunn 86'), Meilleur-Giguère, Sow (Mekidèche 73'); Pearlman (Gagnon-Laparé 68'), Rampersad, Johnston (Ciccarelli 86'), Timoteo; Dias (Baï 68'), Telfer, Rea

Goals

33' -- Eryk Kobza (Cavalry FC)
46' -- Ali Musse (Cavalry FC)
53' -- Sergio Camargo (Cavalry FC)
57' -- Adam Pearlman (Halifax Wanderers FC)

Discipline

50' — Yellow: Andre Rampersad (Halifax Wanderers FC)
58' — Yellow: Adam Pearlman (Halifax Wanderers FC)
69' -- Yellow: Goteh Ntignee (Cavalry FC)
72' -- Yellow: Eryk Kobza (Cavalry FC)
*73' -- Yellow: Bradley Kamdem (Cavalry FC)
74' -- Yellow: Michael Baldisimo (Cavalry FC)
78' -- Yellow: Nassim Mekidèche (Halifax Wanderers FC)
90+2' -- Yellow: Julian Dunn (Halifax Wanderers FC)